Headlined by a number of big matchups including an in-season tournament contest against cross-town foe Vanderbilt, the 2011-12 Lipscomb Lady Bisons women’s basketball schedule looks to be an exciting campaign as announced by head coach Frank Bennett on Wednesday.

“We’re excited about the Lady Bisons basketball season schedule for the 2011-2012 season,” noted Bennett. “We’ve got some marquee games with some top level teams”

The 29-game slate features contests against seven teams that made it to either the 2011 NCAA tournament or the 2011 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT)

Following a Nov. 5th exhibition against NCAA Division II foe Harding, the Lady Bisons open the regular season with a two-game home set hosting Air Force on Nov. 11th and in-state rival Austin Peay on Nov. 14th at Allen Arena. Lipscomb continues action against “Volunteer” state teams on the 17th with a trip across the “Music City” to take on Tennessee State before back-to-back contests across the state line in Alabama against Alabama A&M on the 19th and Jacksonville State on the 21st.

Thanksgiving weekend hosts a big weekend for the Lady Bisons as Lipscomb travels across town for Vanderbilt’s tournament that features three teams that made the postseason in 2011. The Lady Bisons take on NCAA participant Vanderbilt on the 25th and then face off against either NCAA Sweet Sixteen foe Oklahoma or WNIT opponent Liberty on the 26th.

Atlantic Sun play awaits Lipscomb the following week as the Lady Bisons open league play against Mercer on Dec. 1st before Kennesaw State comes to town on Dec. 3rd. Coach Bennett’s squad then steps out of conference play again to finish out 2011 with a gauntlet featuring trips to 2011 WNIT participant Tennessee Tech on the 5th, NCAA Sweet Sixteen squad North Carolina on the 7th, NCAA participant and Big South champion Gardner Webb on the 18th and Indiana State on the 20th.

2012 welcomes conference play back for the Lady Bisons with a trip to the “Sunshine State” to open the New Year. Lipscomb takes on A-Sun foes Jacksonville on the 2nd and North Florida on the 4th. Road action continues on Jan. 7th with a trip up the “Boulevard” to take on Belmont before returning to the friendly confines of Allen Arena on Jan. 12th hosting NCAA participant and defending A-Sun champion Stetson.

Another 2011 postseason foe awaits two days later as Lipscomb hosts WNIT participant Florida Gulf Coast on the 14th before traveling to USC Upstate on the 19th and East Tennessee State on the 21st. Jacksonville and North Florida then make their return trip to Nashville on the 26th and 28th, respectively, before Belmont makes the three-mile trek to the Lipscomb campus to open the month of February on the 4th.

The Lady Bisons second trip to the state of Florida awaits following the tilt with the Bruins with a trip to take on Florida Gulf Coast on the 9th and Stetson on the 11th. East Tennessee State comes to town on the 16th of February before Upstate wraps up the 2011-12 home slate on the 18th. Lipscomb then wraps up the 2011-12 regular-season slate with a pair of road games at Mercer on the 23rd and Kennesaw State on the 25th.

The Atlantic Sun Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 29-March 3rd in Macon, Ga. For season ticket information contact Trevor Garrett at 615-966-5990 or trevor.garrett@lipscomb.edu